U-M Regent Acker Apologizes for Vulgar Messages — But Board Closes the Matter Without Consequences

An independent investigation confirmed that University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker sent vulgar Slack messages about a Democratic strategist and a female U-M student in 2020 and 2021. Yet the Board of Regents closed the matter without further action after accepting his apology, imposing no censure, limits on Acker's authority, or other sanction.

"I'm sorry to my colleagues on this board. I'm sorry to our students, our faculty, our staff, alumni and everyone who cares deeply about this university. I'm sorry for the distraction, the disappointment, and the pain that the situation has caused," Acker said at the board's June 25, 2026, meeting.

The University of Michigan operates on a $15.6 billion FY 2026 budget. Acker's current term ends Jan. 1, 2027. He lost the Democratic Party nomination for a new eight-year term in April 2026 and will not be on the ballot in November.

The allegations first appeared in an April 2026 report by The Guardian. In messages about the female student, Acker shared her photo, repeated private health information disclosed by her father that she had mononucleosis and a series of urinary tract infections, and then wrote: "Maybe he doesn't realize that his daughter f----, apparently a lot."

In messages about a Democratic strategist, Acker claimed she "likes it extremely rough and is very very very much into props," and wrote: "My buddy her on election night 2018... Said it was the most insane experience of his life." The messages were sent in a group Slack chat between 2020 and 2021.

Acker initially denied the allegations, with his attorney claiming he "has never been on Slack" and that the messages were "doctored" or fabricated. The investigation, conducted by outside law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, found the messages were sent from an account with Acker's name, tied to his personal Gmail, and were corroborated by six chat participants. Board Chair Michael Behm and Regent Paul Brown confirmed to Bridge Michigan that the investigation had validated the allegations.

The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs called the alleged conduct "disgusting" and said Acker should resign if the allegations were verified.

"I know that I failed my own standards. Regardless of what anyone else says or does, the fact is that I made choices that fell short of the standards I expect of myself," Jordan Acker, Regent, University of Michigan Board of Regents, said.

"I'm also sorry it has taken me this long to say these words publicly. Part of the delay came with the difficulty of living for the last two months. Part of it came from listening to lawyers and advisers and part of it came from my own instinct to defend myself. But an apology delayed is still delayed. And for that, I am sorry as well," Jordan Acker, Regent, University of Michigan Board of Regents, said.

Acker did not explicitly mention the Slack messages in his public apology. The Board of Regents issued a written statement saying that after considering "relevant factors and circumstances," it had determined "it is in the best interests of the University to close this matter without further action."

"I accepted his apology. This is a teachable moment for students about making mistakes, accountability, and moving forward with the work," Denise Ilitch, Regent, University of Michigan Board of Regents, said.

Board Chair Michael Behm stated there is no formal investigative report from the Patterson Belknap investigation. The University of Michigan has paid at least $177,360 for the investigation.

University of Michigan regents are elected statewide by all Michigan voters on the partisan general-election ballot to eight-year terms. Regents govern the university but are not university employees subject to workplace discipline or faculty oversight. Michigan voters have the authority to recall elected officials, including regents, under Section 8 of Article II of the Michigan Constitution, but a recall would require statewide signature-gathering and a statewide recall election—a high bar for Ann Arbor residents and U-M community members acting alone.

The University of Michigan enrolls more than 50,000 students, employs thousands of Ann Arbor residents, and is the city's dominant economic and civic institution. The female student whose private health information Acker shared and about whom he made vulgar sexual comments was attending the institution he was elected to govern.

The board's decision means no disciplinary consequence, no censure, and no restriction on Acker's continuing role in governing the university through the end of his term. Unless a statewide recall effort is mounted before Jan. 1, 2027, Acker will complete his term with no institutional consequences beyond the apology the board accepted. Ann Arbor voters can participate in the November 2026 election for regent seats, but only as part of a statewide electorate—not as a local constituency with direct control over U-M governance.